Here at Amaravati, we chant the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
in its traditional form. When the Buddha gave this sermon on the Four Noble Truths, only
one of the five disciples who listened to it really understood it; only one had the
profound insight. The other four rather liked it, thinking Very nice teaching
indeed, but only one of them, Kondanna really had the perfect understanding of what
the Buddha was saying.

The devas were also listening to the sermon. Devas are celestial,
ethereal creatures, vastly superior to us. They do not have coarse bodies like ours; they
have ethereal bodies and they are beautiful and lovely, intelligent. Now although they
were delighted to hear the sermon, not one of them was enlightened by it.

We are told that they became very happy about the Buddhas
enlightenment and that they shouted up through the heavens when they heard his teaching.
First, one level of devata heard it, then they shouted up to the next level and soon all
the devas were rejoicing - right up to the highest, the Brahma realm. There was resounding
joy that the Wheel of Dhamma was set rolling and these devas and brahmas were rejoicing in
it. However, only Kondanna, one of the five disciples, was enlightened when he heard this
sermon. At the very end of the sutta, the Buddha called him Anna Kondanna.
Anna means profound knowing, so Anna Kondanna means
Kondanna-who-knows.

What did Kondanna know? What was his insight that the Buddha praised
at the very end of the sermon? It was: All that is subject to arising is subject to
ceasing. Now this may not sound like any great knowledge but what it really implies
is a universal pattern: whatever is subject to arising is subject to ceasing; it is
impermanent and not self....So dont attach, dont be deluded by what arises and
ceases. Dont look for your refuges, that which you want to abide in and trust, in
anything that arises - because those things will cease.

If you want to suffer and waste your life, go around seeking things
that arise. They will all take you to the end, to cessation, and you will not be any the
wiser for it. You will just go around repeating the same old dreary habits and when you
die, you will not have learned anything important from your life.

Rather than just thinking about it, really contemplate:All
that is subject to arising is subject to ceasing. Apply it to life in general, to
your own experience. Then you will understand. Just note: beginning....ending. Contemplate
how things are. This sensory realm is all about arising and ceasing, beginning and ending;
there can be perfect understanding, samma ditthi, in this lifetime. I dont know how
long Kondanna lived after the Buddhas sermon, but he was enlightened at that moment.
Right then, he had perfect understanding.

I would like to emphasise how important it is to develop this way of
reflecting. Rather than just developing a method of tranquillising your mind, which
certainly is one part of the practice, really see that proper meditation is a commitment
to wise investigation. It involves a courageous effort to look deeply into things, not
analysing yourself and making judgements about why you suffer on a personal level, but
resolving to really follow the path until you have profound understanding. Such perfect
understanding is based upon the pattern of arising and ceasing. Once this law is
understood, everything is seen as fitting into that pattern.

This is not a metaphysical teaching: All that is subject to
arising is subject to ceasing. It is not about the ultimate reality - the deathless
reality; but if you profoundly understand and know that all that is subject to arising is
subject to ceasing, then you will realise the ultimate reality, the deathless, immortal
truths. This is a skilful means to that ultimate realisation. Notice the difference: the
statement is not a metaphysical one but one which takes us to the metaphysical
realisation.